


Exhibit C

by 11dishwashers



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Art, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 05:22:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9642479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/11dishwashers/pseuds/11dishwashers
Summary: Renjun goes to an abandoned house to paint for his class assignment, he meets a cute stranger who's painting too.





	

Renjun’s so close to failing art, another round of forgetting to wash black paint off his brush before putting it on his page and he’s be  _ done for.  _ It didn’t help when Chenle spilled his water all over the page he was very much working on, thank you. He definitely wasn’t finishing his science homework on the desk, and that definitely didn’t get soaked too, and he definitely didn’t get a note home saying ‘no science homework!!’, and most importantly, he definitely didn’t punch Chenle afterwards.

So here he is, clinging to that 40% like it was all that mattered, just  _ one more _ project left and he’ll be done for the year.

So there’s the work- his teacher tells them to paint a landscape and bring it in for monday to get graded. “It has to be drawn from real life,” she’d said, and Renjun was going to listen.

 

_ “It’s higher than I’d imagined, _ ” he’s thinking to himself. He’s not a tall boy, he’s entirely aware of that. They almost didn’t let him on to Space Mountain last summer when they’d visited, even though they let his ambiguously younger cousin go on with no other questions.    
The fence is indeed higher than he’d imagined, not just because of the further-away-perspective from the street far below. It’s painted over with black that goes lumpy from the heat during the summer, which means it has the texture of porridge right now, slotted spikes that are particularly intimidating loom over Renjun and cast narrow shadows on the other side. Like the rings on a binded copybook, Renjun doesn’t think, because he’s not concentrating on the aesthetics of it all.   
He ends up pushing the canvas paper sketchbook through the fence and scaling the thing with hands that weren’t built for scaling, but rather, for holding paintbrushes.

And when he jumps down he grazes his knee on a rock, looking around to make sure that ~no one was there~ before letting out a small whine of pain. Art is all about suffering, he reminds himself, finding some will to go on.

 

Fences lead to things, or obviously, fence things off from the outside world. The house is a case of it, rather peculiarly uninhabited( or so Chenle claims). There’s a rumour going around that it used to be owned by a family of rich loansharks. Often times Jisung brings it up like they haven’t all heard it before, because the house is downright  _ scary  _ and they need something to talk about when they’re done watching horror movies.   
Firstly, there’s the hook, it hangs from the the top window all the way to the ground so even someone as short as Renjun can reach it. It’s what they supposedly used to transport corpses. Renjun doesn’t think loansharks are that ruthless, but it’s kind of a cool thought, why else would it be there? He can see it lying in the green-yellow grass a few meters away from where he stands.   
Secondly, the colour, it’s painted industrial dark-grey in what’s mostly reserved for the plastic parts of printers, which means it casts the darkest shadows on the hill.

Thirdly, it’s abandoned, which automatically makes every child shit their pants for fear of ghosts or pirates or ghost-pirates.

But Renjun is just a bit more scared of failing art for the semester than an ex-loanshark’s house, so he’s driven here to paint something both interesting  _ and  _ from life, two for one here.   
The truth is, he’s always loved painting, but he’s never been good at following advice or listening to the teacher or thinking ahead, and he forgets and forgets his assignments until all he has is a shaky pencil sketch done in the car that he  _ knows  _ it’s shit, turning in monthly assignments on grid paper because maths was his first class and he forgot his locker key.

So he’s doing rounds of the house to find the best angle, he wishes he could do a square with his fingers like the professionals do but there’s currently a canvas sketchbook tucked under his arm. Thank god he has a bag at least, slung on his back with a wooden box containing dried up watercolours(maybe they’ll work?), two bottles of water, one for cleaning the brushes in and the other for… drinking. Unbeknownst to Chenle, he stole a large packet of m&ms from his under-the-bed sweet stash last time he stayed over, so there’s that too.    
While eyeing a shed in the distance, the kind you expect to find machetes in, he spots a figure sitting at a patch where the grass dries out, only his eyes are visible over the top of the sketchbook he’s holding. His hands are completely still, pencil in hand not moving, looking back at Renjun. Oh, so Renjun’s blocking his view? He mindfully walks out of the way and when he looks back the boy’s smiling at him.

Now, through some sick fate, that’s when Renjun realises the boy’s sitting to draw the  _ best possible angle of the house. _ It’s perfect- it captures the flowers that bloom through the cracked concrete of the bleak patio, dark wood chairs that collapse with the breeze are all facing into a glass table that still had cutlery left on it. 

 

Renjun begrudgingly finds himself walking over and plopping down next to the boy, who’s giving him a curious look, he’s not shy but he really needs to get this painting  _ done _ and he can tell he’ll end up slipping into conversation with the Mystery Stranger.

Aforementioned Mystery Stranger looks too delicate to be threatening, even out here. His hair is an unnatural shade of lightish brown, it’s got this red tint that catches the light and Renjun can pick out the exact coloured pencil he’d use to draw it. Mystery Stranger’s still looking at Renjun- oh no he’s not, now he’s looking back down at his page and  _ oh my. _

First comes astonishment- how can you even  _ think _ to pick those colours? They’re so unnatural but they work so well and it’s not even realistic but Renjun falls head over heels for the art style and before he knows it he blurts “oh my god.”

“What? You don’t like it?” replies Mystery Stranger in a nasally voice that isn’t ugly at all really.

Second comes jealousy- Renjun feels his own place in the Museé D’Orsay slowly(or quickly) fading away and being replaced by Mystery Stranger, but even then he comes full circle back to astonishment, feeling just a bit insecure about his own sketchbook that’s now sitting in his lap, A2.

“No! It’s really good! I was just surprised,” Renjun replies, opening his bag and taking out the wooden box. 

“Surprised that I’m good?” Mystery Stranger laughs and Renjun doesn’t really have a response. “Thank you, though.”

And it goes quiet again, Renjun gets to work on his picture and he knows Mystery Stranger isn’t looking. That’s a plus, at least, because he’s having an extra hard time drawing the angles on the busted windows. He’s planning to sketch today and come back tomorrow, a friday, to start with the paints. The plan could change easily though, considering the sheer heat, he doesn’t own many pairs of shorts and the grass keeps tickling his legs anyway.

He digs through his admittedly messy bag and finds the m&ms after about half an hour of drawing in silence, he’s nowhere close to done and it’s up for discussion whether the m&ms will be his dinner or not.   
Wordlessly, he holds the opened bag out to Mystery Stranger who nods and takes a handful. In a way, it’s peaceful, not even awkward. The pencil noises are enough to fill the humid air.

The skyline becomes burgundy with light pollution from the town when it gets darker, and darker still, and Renjun thinks there’s not enough natural light left to see a single pen stroke on a page. He closes his sketchbook over and puts everything in his bag, paying mind to Mystery Stranger who’s doing the same.

“Well, I should go,” Renjun says, slinging his bag on his back.

“Why tell me?” Mystery Stranger replies, grinning and it’s so  _ shiny  _ even in the mid-dark. It doesn’t give Renjun the room to be embarrassed.

He tucks his sketchbook back under his arm that’s still too hot despite the lack of sun in the sky. “Didn’t I share my m&ms with you?” he says, smiling back.

“Hmm, true…”

 

The walk home is nothing special really, besides how tempted he is from the smell of the food stalls dotting along the busy streets. His mother doesn’t look up from her laptop when he gets into the apartment and Renjun wonders if he really should’ve stayed longer.

 

“Wow it looks so good!” Chenle says about Renjun’s sketch. The bell just went and they’re about to part ways, usually Renjun would get the bus but now he’s going to walk to the loanshark house. He nods to Chenle with a smug smile. 

“I worked on it for a while, that’s probably why you think so,” he says, shoving his maths book that he  _ definitely  _ needs for homework into his crammed locker. Chenle rolls his eyes.

“I better get going, bus is here soon.”   
“Run!” Renjun shouts after him, all he gets is the middle finger in response. He’s still laughing as he walks out of the school, sketchbook tucked under his arm.

 

“Back so soon?” 

If anything, the air is more humid than yesterday and another reminder that Renjun deserves those new shoes he's been eyeing for some time, what with all the walking that will probably amount to fuck all. He’s sure he won’t concentrate too much on his painting, the heat waves distorting the sketch just slightly. He’s never been the type to use rulers to grid things out.

“I guess I am,” he says, plopping down next to Mystery Stranger who’s wearing white-red stripey socks. Unlike Renjun, he looks to be the type to tan rather than burn.

They don’t talk for the longest time, until Mystery Stranger says “why?” out of seemingly nowhere.

“Why what?” is all Renjun can think to reply with.

“Why would you come here to paint?” Mystery Stranger looks up from his page and meets Renjun’s eyes, causing his hand to stop drawing as he just  _ looks. _

He shrugs. “Class assignment, I need to ace this one or I’ll fail.”

“You manage to fail with art like  _ that?  _ How bad at sitting exams are you?” asks Mystery Stranger, rhetorically, gesturing to the sketchbook sitting on Renjun’s lap. “No excuse.”

“You could say I’m disorganised,” Renjun replies. “But this time I’m really trying. But what about you? Why are you here?”

Mystery Stranger looks back to the house in  a way that makes Renjun do the same. It’s not as lit up as before and Renjun wonders just  _ how long _ he’s been here for. “I just like painting,” he admits.

“I can tell.”

\--silence again, until Renjun packs up first. He has a note folded and shoved in his sock for safe keeping, having the foresight to tell that he’ll definitely want to buy street food on the way back. His mother doesn’t cook anymore, to be fair, and he can’t remember the last time he’s eaten something that didn’t require defrosting.

“See you,”  _ tomorrow,  _ he wants to add, but that would be weird, right? 

Mystery Stranger looks up at him for the shortest second before nodding. “See you.”

  
  


The next day, Mystery Stranger shares a tube of jaffa cakes with Renjun. 

“Were you thinking about me?” Renjun’s joking, taking another and another and another until they’re left with the cellophane. He’s never usually this daring, known as the second-shyest person in the friend group(only after Jisung but that’s a given). He gets embarrassed whenever he has to look a teacher in the eye and say  _ I don’t have my homework. _ What a weird case, Renjun thinks about himself, it’s not nice to dwell on.

“Don’t get your hopes up, of course not,” Mystery Stranger scoffs, but he’s smiling “Maybe. Yes.”

Renjun decides he likes the smile, it’s pretty, pretty cute, cute, whatever. He doesn’t ignore how his heart does little flips. 

  
  


“Calm down, what’s going on?”    
So Renjun may or may not have ran down to Chenle’s house after he left, too out of breath, he’s not an athlete.

“You know that guy I was talking about?” he’s asking, being handed a mug of hot chocolate like he’s truly traumatised from the whole situation. Chenle might as well have handed him a hypothermia blanket at this point.

“From the house-”

“Yeah, him. Chenle, I think I like him, for fucks sake.”

Chenle smiles, sitting across from him at the kitchen table. “That’s great!”

“No, it definitely isn’t. My assignment’s due on monday and then I’ll be  _ done.” _

“Shit,” is all Chenle can find to say. “Uh…”

“What do I do?”

“Just… just tell him?”

“Thanks Chenle,” Renjun replies, but it’s sarcastic.

  
  


He brings dinner packed into little tupperware boxes, it was damn hard to make too, he had to consult yahoo answers as his mam was out working. He doubts she would’ve had the time to help either way.   
So there he was, 16 year old boy, learning how to cook egg fried rice wearing his mother’s apron. Chenle’s the real cook in the friend group anyway, he tells himself after a bunch of rice sticks to the bottom of the pan and becomes a charred mess.   
But he manages in the end, hoping to god that Mystery Stranger would still be there by the time he reached the hill. He ends up running a paranoid six meters down the apartment stairs until he realises it’ll amount to nothing anyway.

 

Nothing really justifies the happiness(and inevitable relief) he feels when Mystery Stranger is waving him over from the usual spot by the shed. It’s already going dark, thank god his mam won’t be around tonight to give out to him for being out late, the light pollution tinges the skyline yet again. Renjun’s not even sure if he’s ever seen a full blue sky.

“I’m back,” he says, sitting next to the Mystery Stranger and pulling out his sketchbook. 

“So you are,” Mystery Stranger replies, seemingly pleased. “Later than usual though. Did you forget about me?”

Renjun laughs nervously and coats a paintbrush in purple/red-  _ for the skyline- _ he needs it done by tomorrow. “No, actually I was…”

“You were…?”

“Cooking dinner,” Renjun admits. “For us. I have to turn my assignment in tomorrow, you see.”

Mystery Stranger pauses. His brush hovers over the frankly beautiful page, for a second there’s a frown that gives Renjun a sort of newfound confidence.  _ He’s sad to see Renjun go. _ “Oh. Very thoughtful,” it almost sounds teasing.

“I never learned your name, by the way.”

Mystery Stranger smiles and a bit of Renjun just dies, he swears, hiding a blush behind his free hand. “I’m Donghyuck, and you are?”

_ Oh, Donghyuck? That’s cute. _

“I’m Renjun.”

“You’re not from here, are you?”

“I moved here from China four years ago,” Renjun says. It was a bit like tearing off a plaster, he felt pretty down in himself for a whole two weeks before Chenle came along and adopted him as his best friend. Absolutely no regrets. “I had to learn korean in like, a month before school started. I didn’t understand anything, you know? But a friend of mine helped me study afterwards.”

“Seriously? That’s so impressive, your korean’s really good! I could only tell because of-”

“My accent?”

“Yeah, but it’s nice,” Donghyuck says, smiling wide. “I like it.”

 

They eat and talk and don’t talk and avoid eachothers eyes until Donghyuck has to go.    
“I get the bus home,” he’s saying as he packs away his paintbrushes. “Our apartment’s kinda far away from here.”

Renjun summons all the courage possible before speaking- “Will I walk you to the bus stop?”

There’s a falter before Donghyuck finally responds, smiling as always, it’s straight up  _ unfair  _ at this point. How can anyone else compete with that?

“Wow! You’re such a gentleman!” he says sarcastically and Renjun physically feels his heart stop beating with the embarassment of it all.

“Right, sorry, it’s okay-”

“Oh shut up, let’s go before I miss my bus.”

So they walk to the stop, painted bright yellow, a few regulars(you can tell by their worn out faces) loiter about. There’s only 3 minutes before the bus shows up in it’s grey glory but it feels like they’ve been talking for ages, as cliche as that is. Renjun supposes all cliches were truth at some point.

  
Donghyuck waves as he leaves, Renjun barely has the assignment complete but it’s good work that he’s passionate about so maybe a miracle will come along?   
More importantly, Donghyuck had said “I still have so much work to do on this,” about his picture, so maybe, just maybe, there’s hope.

 

Renjun sniffs overdramatically as he puts his picture on the stack of other ones until Chenle punches his arm so hard he might  _ actually  _ cry. “So dramatic!” he says when Renjun whines about it afterwards.

Something he’ll never admit; he does feel sad to see that picture go.

 

He’s thought about never going back, all afternoon in fact, through maths class and korean and geography. He’s never asked a question because the teacher either knows him as too-shy or too-absent minded to bother. It’s a lifestyle that leaves him alone with his thoughts a lot of the time.   
When you have a crush, you think about them, right? Renjun uses this as justification for how he can’t forget that  _ fucking smile. _ Life truly is unfair, sometimes, but Renjun still feels just a bit blessed for meeting Donghyuck.

 

He caves and ends up going back.

 

Once upon a time, Renjun fell for a sunny boy named Yoon Sanha. He was just 14 and tenderhearted, a bit soft around the edges for a kid his age. One eye squinted more than the other in a way that screamed _‘I wear prescription glasses!’_   
Ironically, he didn’t, and Chenle used to laugh about it constantly. Back then, Renjun wore his heart on his sleeve and confessed and he can pinpoint the exact moment he realised the smile on sanha’s face was apologetic. That’s life, he supposed, and moved on.  
Sanha was bright and cheerful and puppy love in human form. It makes Renjun think he has a type.

 

Obviously, romance still isn’t his strong suit. He doesn’t want to seem desperate. Truthfully, he’s just that, desperate for good company and Donghyuck and the dusty air of the hill and most importantly  _ Donghyuck.  _ Did he mention Donghyuck?

Well, he’s there- sitting down and painting, unaware of Renjun’s presence as of yet.   
But when he looks up to observe his subject(the house) and sees Renjun instead, he breaks out into the biggest grin that has Renjun falling head over heels, and almost literally, as he trips over his own feet. Crashing to the ground, he’s blushing but laughing. 

“You’re back!” Donghyuck calls, laughing too, he runs over and helps Renjun up.

“Of course I am!” Renjun replies, just a bit dazed from where Donghyuck’s hand gripped his shoulder.

“Of course?”

“Well, I mean-”

“Of course, you mean, of course,” Donghyuck says. He’s pulling Renjun over to the spot now by his t shirt sleeve. “Sit down.”

Renjun shrugs. “No point in hiding it. Oh! By the way!”

He roots through his pockets, his excuse for being here folded thrice and crumpled. Green printer paper, tacky font, school stamp.

“Look,” he says with a grin. “Look what I got in art!”

“Oh my god you did it!” Donghyuck says sarcastically. “I’m shocked. It’s not like I didn’t already tell you you’d be fine or anything.”

Who cares if Renjun has no response to that? He got a B in art! Oh my god!

“Since I’m such a generous person, let me buy you ice cream,” Donghyuck hands the report card back.

“For what?”

“To celebrate, you idiot. Come on, I know the perfect place.”

He’s being pulled by the sleeve of his t shirt again, this time a bit more dazed and in the opposite direction.

 

It’s outdoors in the summer, Donghyuck had explained. In the winter everyone stays inside, or at least, the people stupid enough to buy ice cream in the snow(“I would,” Renjun had blurted, to which Donghyuck snorted and said “join the club.”).   
But the summer, they bring out deck chairs and little tables from liquidated french bakeries. A group of girls around the age of 13 are huddled up near the parlour’s window, a few couples loiter about, Donghyuck picked the seat so you can watch the people go by. Being a painter, he takes great notice of little details in cloth patterns and finds great entertainment in seeing the types of people that go by. Renjun finds it charming, even if he doesn’t get it.

With all the couples around, he tries not to think about what he and Donghyuck look like sitting across from eachother, Renjun giving himself future back problems by hunching forward and Donghyuck slumping back in his lawn chair. His legs look longer that way. Oh well, Renjun thinks, wondering if he’ll get caught looking.

“-which is why he’s so annoying,” Donghyuck’s in the middle of saying. He’s long since decided on metropolitan icecream and went through the entire menu with Renjun, going through his recommendations and the best flavours.

Renjun closes the menu as soon as he sees ‘bubblegum ice cream’ listed. “Isn’t he your best friend?”

“Yeah,” Donghyuck sighs happily. “You’d have to meet him, then you’ll see what I mean.”

“My best friend isn’t really all that annoying. I think I’m the annoying one, to be honest.”   
Donghyuck snorts. “I find that hard to believe.”

“You shouldn’t, he’s really patient and caring.”

“Aren’t you?”

Renjun blushes.

 

Donghyuck walks him home this time, even though his house is on the far side of town. He probably doesn’t think Renjun remembers what he said about the bus yesterday.

“Give me your number,” he says, shuffling his feet. They’re standing outside Renjun’s front door, his mother probably isn’t home but he doesn’t have the courage to invite Donghyuck in.   
Renjun looks at him with wide eyes and blurts “why?” before he can stop himself.

Donghyuck shrugs. “We should hang out more, it was fun.”

 

Renjun’s never smiled so much at a text before-   
_ .its me, ur prince, add my number _

 

Donghyuck’s so cool.

  
  
  
  
  


“You seriously got his number?” Chenle asks, eyes wide. They have a free science class and Renjun’s been eyeing his phone under the table the whole time.   
He nods with glee.

“Huh, never expected you’d actually do something.”

  
  
  


Renjun doesn’t even bring art supplies this time, a friday, he’s just himself with a can of cherry coke and a packet of marshmallows from under Chenle’s bed. He wonders how long it’ll take before Chenle collapses from sugar overdose. Then, he wonders the same about himself, then, he knows it’s time to stop worrying so much.

Donghyuck has a jumbo packet of starbursts by his side when Renjun approaches. They laugh and eat every last piece of sour sugar until it’s dark and tired and where did Donghyuck’s sketchbook go?

It’s gone now, thrown to the side. They’re lying down and stargazing like drunken idiots, except they’re not drunk, they’re just cliche and hopped up on sugar.

“I’m glad I met you,” Donghyuck says and it’s just the cutest thing ever in Renjun’s eyes. He dozes off a little over a second later, quiet snores filling the air, Renjun only wishes he were closer.   
He gets a text from Jisung but doesn’t quite check it, instead he grabs Donghyuck’s hand and wonders who will wake up to this first.

  
  


When Renjun’s eyes open the sky is… bright…? And oh god, pain shoots through the back of his head. His limbs feel stiff.   
....   
He fell asleep on the ground. Donghyuck’s sitting up, still holding Renjun’s hand, it makes him wonder if he was happy to wake up to that.

“Morning,” he yawns, reaching for the can of cherry cola only to realise there’s none left. Donghyuck goes a faint pink when he looks down at Renjun. It’s pleasing, to be honest. 

“Morning, sleeping beauty,” he says with a grin. “You’ve got dirt in your hair.”

“We both have dirt in our hair,” Renjun says with a frown, running a hand through Donghyuck’s, it’s not as soft as it looks, but it’s still nice.   
His hand now has dried dirt on it, however.

Donghyuck notices too. “Right you are,” he says, shaking his head so his hair fluffs up and Renjun wishes he did that with his hands, too. “Aren’t your parents worried?”

“Nope,” Renjun replies. “I have a stereotypical single mother who spends her nights working, you know how it is in the suburbs. You?”

“Just said I stayed at Jaemin’s,” Donghyuck replies, yawning into his hand.

“Breakfast?”

  
  


This time, Renjun pays, since he’s the only one with money left to spend. They eat breakfast at only “the classiest establishment”, according to Donghyuck, but Renjun rolls his eyes when the double gold arches come into view. Mcdonalds.

“I’m stealing a chip,” Renjun says. Their knees are touching under the table. He couldn’t be happier with the dining situation.

“You said you didn’t want any chips!” Donghyuck whines, but nudges the box of fries over anyway. “High maintenance.”

“You don’t mind, though.”

 

(Renjun wonders if that counts as his first date)

  
  
  
  
  
  


Donghyuck walks Renjun back to the apartment, but this time, Renjun’s just a bit braver.

“You can come in?” he says nervously, fiddling with his hands like he always did as a child.

“Anything for you,” Donghyuck replies. He’s not serious, Renjun must remember that.

 

“Oh,  _ that’s  _ cute,” Donghyuck says with a whistle.    
Renjun wants to curl up. And cry. Until he drowns himself in embarrassment. In that order, too.

“S-shut up,” he says shakily, hiding his face behind his hands.

“What? It’s cute is all I’m saying, another thing to add to the list.”   
“What list?”

“The ‘Cute Things About Renjun List’, of course!”

Renjun’s glad he’s already hiding behind his hands, at least the blush won’t show. Embarrassment and… happiness…?

It makes the Moomin posters currently in clear sight  _ almost _ worth it. Almost.

 

Donghyuck sits on Renjun’s bed flipping through his sketchbooks while Renjun does his homework at the desk. He feels kind of boring, to be honest.

“Wow,” Donghyuck says, going through the one with the red cover.

“Hmm? What?” Renjun looks up from his essay to see Donghyuck looking in awe.

“I’m  _ so lucky  _ to have a friend as talented as you.”

“Ah, I… I-”

“Don’t stress, I know you’re terrible at taking compliments.”

  
  


He leaves at 7 with promise of meeting up tomorrow, hugging Renjun before he goes.

“Text me, yeah?” Renjun’s saying, holding the door open for him.

Donghyuck snorts. “Eager,” he says, but as soon as Renjun glares at him, he’s going “but of course.”

  
  


_ Donghyuck- ur rooms cute did i already say that _

_ Renjun- you did _

_ Donghyuck- okay _

_ Donghyuck- well _

_ Donghyuck- its so cute i wanna see it again _

 

He brings a packet of gummy worms with him the next day, they watch shitty movies and laugh at them all afternoon with the curtains closed.

When Donghyuck moves so his thighs press against Renjun, Renjun can only think ‘this is the life’.

So beautiful, he thinks, looking at Donghyuck’s side profile.

So beautiful.

  
  
  
  


“Where weeeeeere you?” Chenle whines, acting up how much he actually cares. From this angle and the way the stars align, Renjun can tell that he played video games all weekend.

“You won’t believe,” Renjun says, giddy, before rambling on about how Donghyuck came over.

 

He’s not sure when Donghyuck starts staying over, a night here, a  night there…

He just knows that they share the bed and sometimes wake up holding hands and  _ friends aren’t like that. _

 

How it kills to be shy and crushing on someone.

  
  
  
  
  


“You know what?” Donghyuck’s saying, sat at Renjun’s desk, a complete reverse of the situation from a while back.

Renjun looks up from his PSP. “what?”

“We should draw again, like how we used to.”

And he’d agree with all Donghyuck has to say, but he especially agrees with this. “Oh, definitely.”

  
  


One map of the city, 7 yellow stickers and a lot of smudged blue ink. They’ve plotted out a plan of where to draw and… and… Donghyuck’s leaning his head on his shoulder, they’re on the bus, watching the skyline in it’s usual burgundy state.

The city is beautiful, Renjun thinks, but this boy is better.

  
  
  
  


They go to the park, basketball court and all, groups of teenagers in vests and shorts play and Renjun almost stumbles over a fair few kissing couples in the dark. It’s so dark, far out enough the street lights hit nothing but the leaves on the trees. Under the shade it’s both muggy and cool, the river flowing through the place dampens it all, almost like those parks you’d come across in suburban France. It has netted metal gates that pink shines through and plaid picnic blankets abandones at the base of tree trunks.

They sit by the river, Renjun nervously tears grass out of the ground, hands by his sides. He’s nervous because, well, he’s braver today and it scares him.   
Donghyuck looks amazing from the side, eyes looking out to the river where the currents look like crepe paper all scrunched up and wriggling, then they flicker over to Renjun’s and stay there.

It’s an indiscernible amount of time. Donghyuck’s cheeks could be red for all Renjun knew under the shadows casted by the leaves overhead. He can’t see more than outlines and white-blue skin and Donghyuck’s  _ eyes  _  and Donghyuck’s  _ lips _ pursing. 

You know what he does when he’s nervous? 

He blurts, then crashes, then drinks hot chocolate in Chenle’s house. That order, too.

It doesn’t change now.

“I sort of have a crush on you,” is what he say, eyes still on Donghyuck’s despite everything. He can’t believe himself, clamping a hand over his mouth and-

Why exactly is Donghyuck kissing his hand?

When he pulls away, he laughs, eyes crinkling and breath ragged. “Move your hand,” he says, so happily Renjun could die. “It’s in the way.”

 

In the end Donghyuck moves the hand himself, holding it in his own, head turning awkwardly so their noses bump and they both open their eyes and it’s  _ awkward.  _ But that’s okay, that’s more than okay, because they laugh and try again, leaning in with more care and Renjun’s first kiss is extremely delicate.

Soft lips on his own, soft hand in his own, Donghyuck’s eyes on his own as he pulls away. Donghyuck’s, Renjun’s, Donghyuck’s, Renjun’s.

 

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”

  
  
  
  
  


He crashes his lips against Donghyuck’s, he drinks hot chocolate at Chenle’s and keeps giggling before he can actually say he’s  _ dating Donghyuck. _ In that order, too.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Renjun doesn’t fail art and gets a boyfriend along the way.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> this is so self indulgent bc the haejun interaction is at 0 percent lbr  
> but i had a lot of fun writing this !!!!!!! i hope you all liked it too <3 (since ik this ship isnt popular at all lmao)  
> critisism is rly helpful <333
> 
> also, just one thing, i sort of wrote this as a prequel to my markhyuck fic 'enamoured' but its completely unnecessary to connect them tbh


End file.
